"What brought you here?" Harry was concerned, but also getting confused as to why Griphook had sought him out.
"I didn't necessarily attempt to seek you out, Lord Potter. I simply sought to bring the child here, to the safest place I could think of, considering who she is," Griphook said solemnly.
"And who might she be?"
"Me." The small voice shocked Harry, and nearly everyone else in the room. And no one was prepared for the unearthly shriek of 'Christine!' as Hermione launched herself at the girl.
After a minute, the shock wore off and Harry asked, "Hermione, you know her?"
Hermione smiled happily, still hugging Christine tightly. "This is my cousin, Christine Granger."
"Hi." Christine said shyly, not sure of what to say, but caught Fred's eye and looked him up and down approvingly.
Harry moved closer to Christine, trying his best to convey feelings of comfort and safety to her as he held out his hand. "I'm Harry. You're welcome to join us, and I'll give you a portal stone when I give everyone else one. That way, you can come back anytime you want. I picked Ginny's password myself, but you will all be able to pick your own. Don't worry, no one but the person I hand the stone to will be able to use it unless that person brings a passenger along for the ride. But no matter what, no one with ill intent will be able to enter this mansion and my wards automatically disable all magical concealment."
"So that's why I reverted to my natural state!" shouted Tonks angrily, who though still looking halfway like herself, nonetheless looked very different than she normally did. "I haven't been able to metamorph since I've been in here."
"Oh yeah, sorry Tonks. Hold on, I'll lift that one just for you." A second later, Tonks squealed as her hair turned her favorite, bright pink again.
"Anyways, what happened that made you bring Christine here?" Looking around, Harry realized that Griphook had already disappeared.
Christine looked uncomfortable, her eyes downcast.
"Okay, never mind. We can talk about it when you are ready, or never. It really is up to you. We don't want to push you. I certainly don't, but I won't be able to help you unless I know what happened," Harry said softly.
"I know, but can it be just you? And Hermione? Please?"
Looking at each other, Harry and Hermione nodded and took her to a couch on the other end of the room. After a few minutes, the air began to grow heavy with power, and they all felt the pulses of magic from across the room. No one could miss the way Harry and Hermione were both shaking with fury. Oh, this was bad. This was very, VERY bad.
A second later, Hermione and Christine both broke into tears, leaning against each other, and a loud, enraged "What!" was heard from Harry before he disappeared in a flash of fire.
Nobody said a word for a few minutes. Gabby felt out along their bond, and felt the searing anger from Harry.
~Are you alright, Mon chéri? What happened?~
~I'm fine, Love. If you don't mind, would you please tell them how we met, and everything that happened before I came back? It might take me a while to deal with Lucius, and I don't want any of you to worry.~
~Are you sure? That's something really important to you.~
~I am. I love you and trust you, my wonderful Gabrielle. I already have my pensieve set so all you to do is show them, and it will keep everyone from worrying about me. It will also give me the extra time so I don't have to hurry back, not that I mind being with you every moment of the day. But, I'd like to give Lucius what a small bit of what he deserves for the way he treated you, and what I just found out.~
~What about Christine? Muggles can't use pensieves?~
~She's no muggle, Love. That's half of what has me so pissed off. With her permission I searched for any other traces of magic on her and found that her magical core had been completely bound and the bindings have Dumbledore's signature written all over them. I haven't told her or Hermione yet, so please wait on that. I will remove them personally, and she will be able to be sorted and join us in classes.~
~Why would Dumbledore want to bind her magic?~
~I haven't the foggiest. Just take care of things on that end while I deal with Lucius, please.~
~I'll do that. Come back safe, Mon chéri.~
~Of course, Love. Got to go.~
"Where did Harry go? How did he just disappear like that? You can't apparate inside the grounds of Hogwarts. It says so in Hogwarts, A History"
"That was phoenix fire, Hermione," Sirius said softly. "Not much is known about magical animagi since there have been so very few of them, but it is said that while they can gain the characteristics and physical abilities of their animal like any animagus, they also retain their form's powers, which in Harry's case, allows him to flash from place to place the way a phoenix would. Only, I've never heard of an animagus able to use those powers while still in their human form. It might have something to do with his form being a royal phoenix, but I'd have to research that."
"Wicked." The twins were both wishing they had those powers. It would make it so much easier for them not to get caught.
"But that doesn't explain how Harry was able to bypass the wards, Sirius," Hermione pressed on relentlessly.
"Hermione, those wards don't stop magical creatures such as a phoenix or house elf. If it did, the Hogwarts elves wouldn't be nearly as good as they are, and they can't be seen popping in and out everywhere. Magical creatures have their own forms of magical travel. But I'd bet my last galleon that the wards still couldn't stop Harry. He's too powerful, but as the Heir of Merlin, and the Heir of all four founders, Harry owns Hogwarts and can control the wards as he sees fit."
"That's not possible," Daphne said firmly, hiding her own surprise behind her usual emotionless mask
"Daphne's right. Auntie said the founders' lines died out hundreds of years ago," Susan said.
"You'll have your answers soon enough," Gabby nearly shouted. "Sirius, I have no idea how you knew, since I know Harry hasn't had the time to tell you yet, but I expect it has something to do with the letter Remus sent you."
Sirius nodded.
"Anyways, Harry prepared his own pensieve for this. Today, we will be watching eleven years worth of memories in a time span of fifteen minutes. I know it seems impossible, but Harry created this pensieve for this sole purpose. As we go, feel free to practice and learn anything you don't know, as this will cover the first four years at Hogwarts, with a very heavy training period of seven years afterward. There will be holes in the timeline of the memories, but those are personal to Harry, so you can understand his reluctance to show them."
"The first four years at Hogwarts? Are you sure about that?" Tonks asked, unsure of what she had gotten herself into.
"I'm positive. You'll all be very surprised at them."
"Whose memories are they then?" Tracey called out, not to be outdone by the former Gryffindor.
"They are all Harry's own memories."
"How can that be?"
"Give us a break, Gabrielle. Harry just started his first year, just like us."
"Don't any of you get it?" Hermione yelled, before blushing. Everyone was now looking at her expectantly. Surprised at her own outburst, Hermione continued shyly. "Look, no first year knows all the magic that Harry does, do they? I doubt that even the seventh years do. And didn't any of you catch the part where the sorting hat said 'welcome back the Warrior' when it referred to Lord Emrys? Surely, none of you missed the sorting hat welcome Harry and Gabrielle both 'back' to Hogwarts? Even the sorting hat called Harry the Heir of all four founders when it said that the Heir of Merlin would only return when the blood and magic of the four founders combined. Doesn't it make sense? The only thing I can figure is that somehow, Harry and Gabrielle both came back in time, and the sorting hat knew it."
Hermione said all this very fast, and now stood trying to catch her breath while everyone looked at her in amazement, half of them surprised that Hermione would even rant the way she just had. Gabby and Sirius were surprised too, although they should have expected Hermione of all people to catch on.
"Very good, Hermione. Harry was right about you. You really are the brightest witch of our age." Gabby said, breaking the silence. "Come on everyone, we need to get a move on if we want to make it to dinner."
Hermione stood quietly beside Parvati and Padma looking pleased with herself, and blushing madly at the compliment.
Following Gabby, the group passed several rooms, which caused anyone who looked in to gape at the contents with excitement. But after a few minutes, Gabby brought the group to the end of the hallway, and an empty wall. No one knew what to expect, especially when Gabby began pacing back and forth in front of the wall, but none of them were too surprised to see a door appear. By now, they were nearly shockproof.
"Where does that lead?"
"Don't worry Alicia, this just leads to our room of requirement. There are only two known to exist today, this one, and another that is somewhere in Hogwarts. Come on in. This is an extra measure of security to protect our most valuable secrets."
Following closely, the group found themselves in a comfortable sitting room, where the pensieve was set in the middle of the lounge area. Throughout the room, there were a few of Harry's most priceless artifacts, including the Philosopher's Stone, which Sirius noticed almost at once, and was now pouring over. Harry had taken it's golden stand from his vault, and it was now placed behind impenetrable wards, of Merlin's and Harry's designs, next to a shelf that held several small, priceless trinkets. On the opposite side of the room, directly across from where Sirius was now examining the stone, there was an ancient looking book, bound in an unknown material. Sirius also noted that the wards on the pedestal that the book sat upon was warded just as heavily as the stone.
"Gabrielle, what is this stone? I can feel it pulsing, calling out to me."
"Naturally, you would, Sirius. You must ignore that. That is what leads most men to their doom. That stone is the only one in existence. It is the true Philosopher's Stone, the final of seven stages, the first stage being the one stumbled upon by the famed alchemist Nicolas Flamel over half a millennia ago. Unfortunately for him, due to the requirements for the last six stages on the stone Nicolas Flamel will likely never succeed in creating anything beyond what he now has, but even if he did succeed in creating the sixth stage, I know for a fact that it would be impossible for him to coat the stone with the one ingredient that is required to transform the stone into it's final stage."
"Why is that?" Tonks asked.
"Because," Gabby said simply. "He would need the willingly sacrificed blood of one of the nine Divines, and there is only one person in the world he can get that from."
"The nine Divines?"
"I've never heard of them, have you Sirius?"
"Nope, I haven't either, Hermione."
"What about that book? Judging by the wards around it, I can tell that it's important, but I feel no power emanating it the way I do the Stone. But looking at it makes me yearn to open it and read it, and I don't know why."
Gabby nodded. "That is the Grimouire of the Divines, also known as the Book of Knowledge. It is Merlin's Book of Shadows. As Merlin was a Divine himself, and having all dominion over magic, seeing as he brought magic to the Mortal realm, allowing Mortal creatures the connection to the life energy of the earth and heavens, which we call magic, he knew every hidden secret of Magic itself. Within the pages of this book is that knowledge. Every potion, every spell, every secret of magic is contained. Every created spell or ward has been written in it since magic was brought to us, as well as every undiscovered secret there is. Everything about each one is contained within, from the theory to the runic patterns. It also has an index of any and every report, essay, book, and even thoughts of anything magical written within, and self-updating. It can be searched by categories, and from what Harry has told me, you could tap the index with your wand and ask it for anything categorized under Voldemort, and you'd learn his every secret. Nothing within the Magical world is hidden from this book. That is why Harry guards it so powerfully. Not even I can touch it."
Instead of having a shocked and awed audience as expected, Gabby's speech prompted everyone to begin talking and asking more questions.
"Be patient," Gabby said, interrupting them. "Most of your questions will be answered in these memories, but for now, we are running out of time. Let's go."
A few of the girls mumbled, but nevertheless, everyone formed a circle around the pensieve, joined hands, and were drawn into the pensieve less than a minute later.
"Sweet Merlin." Fifteen minutes had passed since the group disappeared, and Harry now watched as they reappeared and stumbled around a bit. Harry was amused at how several of his guests still was stonewalled expressions. Even Sirius, who had an indication of what to expect, came out looking as if he'd seen a ghost for the first time. He was pale white, and clutching the end of the couch for support.
"That's unbelievable," Katie said slowly as she tried to slow her heartbeat down.
"Yeah, I know," Harry replied, startling everyone. Tonks, who had barely managed to lean haphazardly against the back of the couch, jumped and slipped, falling hard on her bum.
"Argh. Harry!" Harry was surprised to see a rare smile come from Daphne, and watched the twins help Tonks to her feet while Lavender and the Patils giggled madly.
"Sorry, Dora," Harry mumbled, wincing at the glare she gave him. Turning to face everyone once more, Harry continued. "Anyways, I left a lot out of those memories, but I made sure to include all of my training, except for the top secret stuff."
"No wonder you're so good at magic, Harry." Parvati was looking very appreciatively at Harry. "I got to learn and practice a lot, right along beside you. We all did."
"That was my intention."
"You and Ron were best mates before?" Ginny asked curiously. The twins nodded their agreement, still not able to believe it.
"Ron, Hermione, and myself. We were called the 'Golden Trio'. It's pretty funny when you realize some of the rough patches we went through together. I'm actually surprised our friendship lasted that long."
"So... it's for real then? All of it?" Su Li asked quietly. The normally shy girl surprised half of the people that were near her. Normally Su Li was so quiet that no one really paid any attention to her being there.
"That's right. That's why I wanted to show it to you all. This is my story, it's where I come from, but from here on out, where I go from here will be with those I trust and care about. You've all just seen for yourselves that Voldemort will return... that he isn't really gone. At this very moment, Voldemort is here in this very castle, intent on returning to power. I might not be able to put him off forever, but I have every intention of holding him back for at least a few years. Until then, we must all prepare for the inevitable."
Nearly everyone in the room flinched at hearing Voldemort's name. Only Gabby and Sirius seemed unphased. "Oh, come on! It's just a name. Why is everyone so afraid of it? Does Voldemort-," everyone flinched again, " show up and murder someone every time they say his name? All it does is make you fear him more, and that's exactly what Voldemort wants. During the first war, that kind of fear is what made it so easy for Voldemort to gain so much power, and it will again because nobody will want to admit it when he does return. People will believe what they want to, and that kind of fear will make it much easier for Voldemort to hide his return because nobody will want it to be true. It's far more logical to fear the man himself, and what he can do, rather than his name. His name can't do anything to you. If you can't accept calling him by his created name, then call him by his given name. His name is Tom Riddle and he's half blood just like I am."
"That's just it, Harry," Tonks said quietly.
"We've just seen it with our own eyes, and we still don't want it to be true," Susan said.
"That's what gives him half of his power," Harry replied exasperatedly. "Just because we don't want it to happen, doesn't mean it won't. The reality is, sooner or later, Voldemort will return and we have to be ready. We may just be kids, but look at what happened during Voldemort's first reign. Most of those who fought him before are dead. Those who remain are few. This time, it's our fight. This time, it's our turn to stand against him, to protect ourselves and our friends and families. To make this world a better place for when we have children of our own. If we do nothing, we'll have already lost, and I won't... no I can't... accept that."
"'Ere 'ere, Harry," the twins said together. "We're with ya, mate."
"I am, too. Voldemort killed almost my whole family. I owe him," Susan said with passion in her eyes.
"I-I'll stand with you till the end, Harry," Neville said bravely. The normally shy boy had a fire in his eyes, and determination written all over him. "I don't know how much I'll be able to do, but it could have been me. I won't stand by while monsters like Bellatrix Lestrange destroy more families. I know I might die, we all might, but I promise to take as many death eaters with me as I can."
"Well said, Neville," Sirius said encouragingly. "I'm sure we all feel the same, Harry. We're with you all the way." Looking around at them all, Harry saw each of them nod, and though several of them looked scared, they all had a fierce look of determination, and a willingness to fight to the bitter end.
"That settles it," Harry said finally, after a few minutes. "We can use this place to train and study, since it has everything we need, including a library, potions lab, and dueling arena. All we have to do is figure out when we are going to meet, and what our goals are going to be."
"I know we all want to survive, but there are other problems in the wizarding world. Among these are elf and goblin rights, along with the rights of others like Veela. There are also several problems when it comes to how muggleborns are viewed, treated, and the way they are brought into our world. These are just a couple examples of political problems. I have plenty of financial backing, but it would still be nice to put our studies to some use, providing hard to get potions and potion materials. We can write our own books, detailing so much that has been lost to history, and new secrets that have yet to be revealed. What about wands, wand materials, staves, and broomsticks? Have any of you noticed yet, how so many classrooms are now empty at Hogwarts? I have the ability to change that, to expand the Hogwarts curriculum, and fine tune it to be more efficient. The are endless possibilities. To fight Voldemort, we will have to be entirely self sufficient, with our own army. We will have need to have each of us using our own talents to prepare."
"Gabby, Susan and Daphne, I know for a fact that you three would be great running the political side of our plans, and with all of our families' and friends' backing, we have more than enough power in the wizengamot to force any changes through. Sirius, you, Tonks, and Remus were once aurors, and I know you can both duel, but you also recruit well. Hermione, Christine, and Padma, I know that you three could figure out a way to reform Hogwarts. Neville, Hannah, and Lavender have always been good at Herbology, and would do an awesome job gathering herbs and other materials. I also know that Neville would make an excellent commander, good at taking control when the situation calls for it. Fred and George, who better to run and experiments, and create new things for us to use. Tracey and Ginny, we could ask for no better potions mistresses."
"Everyone, I know it sounds like a lot, and that's because it is. The wizarding world has become increasingly stagnate, and our government corrupted. It's our duty to change that."
"You're talking treason, Harry," Alicia began. "Listen to yourself. Force laws to change. An army. Reforming the education at Hogwarts."
"Not treason, Alicia. Think about it yourself. All our problems with the goblins have come from what? They hate us why? What about veela and werewolves? Why do they hate living in Britain? People fear what they don't understand, and they attempt to control what they want. Our laws make it unsafe for any non-humans to live here, because we enslave them and drive them off. Even werewolves are usually decent people. They can't control the fact that they are cursed. It's the same with muggleborns. They are hated for being what they are, not for what they can be. These laws need to change in order for the wizarding world to move forward. Tradition is great, but when it impedes progress, and allows the prejudiced treatment of those who should have the same rights as the rest of us, it needs to be changed. Have you took a look at your class schedule, and looked up which classes are taught here at Hogwarts? We have a total of three classes a day, max. Over time, several courses have been dropped, and I intend to bring them back. By reforming the education here, we can allow more classes to be taken each day, with a greater variety of choices once students reach a certain year. Hogwarts is called the greatest school for witchcraft and wizardry in the world, yet the standards here have dropped tremendously over the years. It is due time for Hogwarts to regain her past glory."
"For some reason, Harry, I actually agree with you," Alicia said slowly.
"So do I," Katie said.
"I think we all do, to some extent," Sirius replied. "There are a great deal of changes that need to be made, and there's no time like the present to begin. I'm honestly very proud of you all. In a few years, your generation will take over, and the world will be yours to run, to forge a brighter future for those who come after us. Our purpose in life is to make something of ourselves, and to work to make the world a better place for our children and those we love. Nothing would make me prouder than to watch each and every one of you, especially you Harry, come into your own."
No one said a thing. None of them, save Harry, knew Sirius that well, but he had just said that he believed in them all. It would be hard, but everyone in the room was grateful and gave a silent oath to fulfill every expectation and more.
"Thank you Sirius. You don't know how much that means to us."
"Yes I do, Pup. Those are almost the exact words that my own grandfather once spoke to me. But enough of that. We need to get outta here. I'm starved."
"Oh, right," Harry said laughing as he jumped up from his spot between Gabby and Ginny. Harry waved his hand over the glass of the table in front of him, and a pile of portal stones appeared. "Everyone take one, and choose a password. Don't worry if someone gets hold of the stone or hears the password, since only you will be able to use it. Next time you want to come here, just turn it over three times and say the password, and do the same to leave."
Shortly after, everyone had a stone in their hand, and the Weasley twins, followed by Neville and Lavender, were the first to leave as they each disappeared silently into thin air. Finally, only Harry, Gabby, and Ginny remained. Giving Harry a kiss on the cheek, Gabby turned her stone over and disappeared.
Just as Harry was about to leave, Ginny caught hold of his arm. Turning to look at her, he could see the tears in her eyes. "What's wrong Ginny?"
She looked down. "N-Nothing."
"Don't say that. Don't be afraid to tell me. I wont get mad, I promise. And I want to be there for you, for anything you need, no matter how small."
Ginny looked back up at him, pleading with her eyes. "I know, Harry. I just wanted to spend some more time alone with you. I don't want you to go so soon, but I know you have to."
Once again, Harry found himself with his arms wrapped around the petite redhead. "Shh, don't cry Ginny. We have all year, and you can join us every day. If you want, we can even have dinner here together tomorrow night. I wish I could say tonight, but there are a few things that I need to take care of after dinner."
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Ginny looked up from Harry's chest. "Y-You'd do that?"
"Of course, m' love. How can I refuse such a gorgeous girl trying to spend some time alone with me?"
"Prat!" Ginny smacked Harry across the shoulder, but nonetheless looked pleased.
"So that's a yes, I take it?"
"Of course it is, and you better not be late. Five o'clock tomorrow so we can hang out for a while before dinner."
"I'll be here, Ginny. Promise," Harry said, letting go of her. "I think we should get going now, before people start wondering."
"Yeah. See you tomorrow, Harry."
"Take care, Ginny."
With that, Harry and Ginny both disappeared, heading to separate locales.
Great Hall, Hogwarts, Northern Scotland
Fortunately, dinner went by eventless. Harry honestly didn't think he could handle much more excitement that day. Still there was the issue of Christine Granger. She had told Hermione and himself everything that had happened up to that point about her family dying, her beatings, and how she was rescued and brought to them.
None of that explained why Harry found bindings on her magical core bearing Dumbledore's magical signature. Things got even worse when Harry saw Dumbledore notice Christine enter the Great Hall with them. The look of recognition and astonishment that the Headmaster quickly hid, was noticed by Harry at once. Harry knew the truth almost immediately, staring at him from Dumbledore's twinkling eyes. The Headmaster did not want Christine at Hogwarts for some reason, and had taken steps to prevent her from being enrolled.
As his eyes passed Dumbledore, and settled on Snape, Harry was pleased to find that the potions master gave him a curious look, although still filled with a great deal of loathing. Harry would have to fix that.
The rest of dinner went by quickly, and watching everyone chatting amongst themselves, Harry was finally beginning to feel as if things were back on the right track. Even Daphne was not as withdrawn as she normally was, though she still sat on the far end, next to Tracey.
Things seemed more or less normal, and the girls seemed to have accepted what Harry had told them the night before. Not all of them were excited about it, of course. Harry never would have expected that. But they at least seemed willing to give his idea a shot, and none of them treated him any different than they would a normal friend. Harry was thankful beyond words for that. He had only been able to really spend any time with Gabby and Daphne, to get their view on things, and Hermione was coming along a bit better, though Harry still felt that there was something there to talk about. He had been able to talk to Susan and Hannah both during class, but wasn't that different? How would he be able to get each one of them alone, and really talk to them... really get to understand where they were coming from? It would take time, that was certain, but for now he had other things to worry about.
Seeing Hermione and Christine get up to leave, Harry quickly told Gabby that he would meet her back at their room later, and hurried out of the great hall after them.
"Hermione, Christine, wait up!" Harry called after them. They both stopped, and Hermione turned around.
"What is it, Harry? We were just headed back to the common room."
"I know Hermione, but there's something I need to speak to the two of you about," Harry answered cautiously. "I don't think either of you are going to like it."
Christine's brows furrowed and Hermione frowned, neither one having the slightest clue where Harry was going with this. "What's wrong, Harry? I'm sure whatever it is, we'll be able to work it out, won't we?"
"Listen," Harry began slowly. "Earlier, when I checked Christine for any other traces of magic on her, I came upon something."
"What did you find?" Hermione's head perked.
"Hermione, Christine is a witch." Hermione and Christine both gasped.
"That's not possible, Harry!" Hermione insisted. "Christine never received a Hogwarts letter. We would have both known if she had ever shown any trace of being magical."
"That may be true, Hermione," Harry replied carefully. "But then how do explain away her magical core that I found when I examined her? There were bindings there with the Headmaster's magical signature on them. Dumbledore bound her magic. I don't know when and I don't know why, but I intend to find out."
"That doesn't make any sense. Dumbledore would never do such a thing!" Hermione insisted. "Dumbledore is the greatest light wizard the world has ever seen. Surely, you could be mistaken, can't you?"
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. After all she had seen in the last day and after all the memories she had seen, she still believed Dumbledore of being incapable of such manipulation?
"Hermione, stop and think for a moment," Harry snapped angrily. "How are you still that blind? I'm not mistaken. The bindings had Dumbledore's magical signature and I traced them back to him. If you don't believe me, let's go ask him. Personally, I want an explanation and I think Christine, at least, deserves one. Afterward, unless Dumbledore does it himself, I intend to remove those binds, so Christine can be sorted into a House and join us here at Hogwarts. She deserves that chance, don't you agree?"
Hermione stood stock still for a moment, shaken by Harry's outburst. How could she have been so stupid? The entire last twenty four hours were more than enough to shake her trust in the Headmaster, but could she really believe him of such evil? Could she really believe the kindly Dumbledore would intrude that far into a child's life, taking away what they were? Thinking for a minute, Hermione couldn't fault Harry for being angry with her. She was supposed to be brilliant, and yet she still missed something that was right in front of her face all along.
"I agree with you, Harry," Hermione answered, carefully choosing each word. Christine appeared relieved, as if she had been afraid that Hermione was going to snap back at Harry. "Anyone born with magic in their blood deserves the chance to learn all they can. No one, not even Dumbledore, has the right to take it away."
"So you'll come with us then... when I take Christine to see Dumbledore?" Harry asked.
Hermione looked scandalous. "Are you daft? Of course I'm coming! Come on!" The next second, Harry found himself being whisked along by Hermione, along with Christine, headed straight for the Headmaster's office.
After they had passed along two separate corridors, Harry noticed that Christine was having a bit more difficulty than he was at keeping her balance while being dragged along by Hermione. "Hermione, stop for a second would you? We can walk by ourselves just fine, thanks."
Hermione stopped, and let go of both of their wrists, looking horrified at her cousin as Christine rubbed her shins, and leaned up against the wall catching her breath. "Oh, I'm sorry Christine!"
"Don't worry about it, Mione." Christine glanced up at her tearful cousin and gave her a small smile. That seemed to cheer Hermione up.
"I can't believe I missed it before. It's so obvious, it's brilliant. It is mad, mind you, but it sounds exactly like something Dumbledore would do."
"Breathe, Hermione," Harry chuckled. "So, what did you figure out? What's so obvious?"
Hermione carefully regarded both Harry and her cousin. "Harry," she began. "Christine and I spent most of our childhoods together. Neither one of us had very many friends, for obvious reasons. But we always got along really well. Now think for a moment. Why were both my parents and myself so willing to agree to the marriage contract between us? Do you honestly believe that we would have been half as tempted, as susceptible, if we knew from the start, that Christine would be joining me here at Hogwarts? I believe he chose me because of my aunt and uncle. They were a bit prudish, if you know what I mean. Sorry Christine."
Christine shrugged. "No problem, Mione. It's true, and we've always been honest with each other. I know you loved them as much as I did."
Harry stood at the gargoyle as he watched the girls hug. Thinking about it, he could definitely agree with Hermione, but he hoped he was wrong, just this once.
Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts, Northern Scotland
Sitting in his office, Albus debated with himself over how he could have let things get so out of hand. He was expected the young Lord Potter's arrival at any moment. No doubt, he would be accompanied by the young Miss Ganger, and her cousin as well. No matter, the contract was signed and made official weeks ago, so no harm could come of them knowing the truth now.
It had been very disturbing when Albus had seen Miss Christine Granger enter the great hall for dinner, along with the entire Emrys House, and even worse when he learned of the events which had occurred at Malfoy Manor earlier that day.
'What else can go wrong?' he wondered.
"Come in Mr. Potter, and both Miss Grangers," he said quietly to the door, just before Harry could knock.
A moment later Harry, followed by Hermione and Christine, were seated comfortably in front of the Headmaster's desk. Christine was seated closest to Fawkes, and took an immediate liking to the phoenix as he flew over to rest on her leg, where she absentmindedly stroked the top of his head.
"Yes, yes... have a seat children," Albus said soothingly, while inwardly he prayed that he hadn't messed up too bad. His relationship with Harry was on rocky grounds already, and he wanted more than anything to help Harry to prepare for his inevitable confrontation with Voldemort. He knew that Harry would likely never trust him completely again, and who could blame him? It was... rather difficult... for Dumbledore to consider passing the torch to Harry, even though he was already showing a tremendous aptitude for leadership, and was more than sufficiently powerful enough to handle the responsibilities. Could he really be sure that Harry would not make the same mistakes that he himself once made?
"Lemon drop?" Albus said calmly.
"No thanks, Professor," Harry replied. Harry was seething at how at ease Dumbledore seemed. Didn't he realize that there was a problem? Surely, the moment he saw Christine, he had to have known that they would be coming for answers shortly. After all, no one could be that thick, except maybe Crabbe and Goyle. However, Harry did note that Dumbledore certainly looked as if he was feeling every one of his years. His shoulders were slumped, and his eyes downcast, a defeated man. Harry could tell that the Headmaster had been doing some serious thinking.
"We wanted to talk to you, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione stated matter-of-factly. "We wanted to ask you some questions... about my cousin Christine. You see-," but she was cut off by Dumbledore raising his hand.
"I know why you are here, Miss Granger. And you are correct, in all of your reasoning."
"S-So I'm really a witch?" Christine choked out.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Oh yes. And quite a powerful one at that. That is why I had to bind your magic years ago when you were almost five. Sadly, when I heard what had happened, I knew immediately what was wrong. You see, your magic reminded me of someone... someone who had once been very dear to my heart, and I could not bear the thought of allowing another child destroy herself and her family like that."
"You're confusing all of us, Professor Dumbledore."
"Naturally, I wouldn't expect you to understand just yet, Miss Granger," Dumbledore answered. "Let me explain. As they grow older, magical children often have bursts of uncontrolled magic. This accidental magic is normally just small things, but can range up to the disastrous. Your cousin Christine, for example, who has always been exceedingly powerful, has a trace of Faerie blood running through her veins. This is an old blood, thought to be extinct, and her magic is far wilder in nature than your own. Because of the destructive nature of her magic, your aunt and uncle asked me to bind it in order to protect her. I was expecting to fulfill the last part of my bargain, and release the bonds on her eleventh birthday, but I never heard from them. Sadly, I have only found out why a short time before you all arrived here in my office."
"Professor, I thought the last known witch or wizard to be of Faerie descent was Morgan Le Fay?"
"To my knowledge, you are correct, Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore said kindly. "I was very curious, and began to research the matter myself after I met Christine. In the last six years, I am ashamed to say that even with all my resources, which are considerable I assure you, I have found no other trace of a witch or wizard with the Faerie blood. There may very well be ancient and powerful spells upon their line, because there is also no explanation for why your cousin has muggle descendents as far back as I could trace, yet the blood in her veins runs pure with one of the most ancient of magics."
Hermione looked thoughtful. None of them said anything, but Harry could almost hear the gears turning in both girls' heads. This was far from what they had expected, and Harry was dumbfounded when the Headmaster locked eyes with him, lowering all of his own occlumency shields before drawing Harry into his own mind as he pushed the memories toward Harry. At first, Harry wasn't sure whether to believe that the memories were real, but he could feel a profound sense of sadness and regret coming from the old man, and at that moment Harry knew that they were finally on equal ground.
Christine and Hermione were both collecting their thoughts when Harry coughed slightly, to get their attention. "For once, Headmaster, I believe you completely. I know I may be mistaken, but I am willing to place my trust in you again, starting now. Hopefully, one day you will regain a margin of the respect I had for you. Don't get me wrong, we still have things to discuss, but I wish to continue that at a later date, perhaps Friday after classes?"
"That would be acceptable, Mr. Potter. I have a staff meeting around four, so I believe we can arrange our meeting for five o'clock."
"Agreed," Harry replied curtly. "Am I to assume that you will remove these bonds, so Christine can be sorted? I'm sure Hagrid would be delighted to take her to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get her school supplies. I'll send a note with him, which will allow them to withdraw enough money from my own vaults to get everything, with some left over in case she wants to splurge."
"You'd do that?" Christine had tears in her eyes, and both she and Hermione were looking gratefully at Harry.
"Of course. What are friends for? I have more than I could ever spend, and even if I didn't, you need it more than I do right now. Just promise me you'll study hard, and do your best to become a great witch, and that's all the thanks I'll ever need."
"Of course I will!" Christine half shouted. "I'll become the greatest witch alive. And when we leave Hogwarts, I promise that I'll pay you back once I get a decent career started."
"Don't," Harry interjected. "I don't want to be paid back. Just remember that I'm always here if you need anything, so don't be afraid to ask. I have so much, far more than I'll ever need, and it's a joy to spread a little happiness to my friends and family."
"That settles it," Professor Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "I will now remove your binds, Miss Granger. Afterward, you will be sorted into your new House. And tomorrow, I will have Hagrid take you to get your school supplies in Diagon Alley. Please allow me to be the first to welcome you formally into the Wizarding World, and to Hogwarts."
Emrys Dorm, Hogwarts, Northern Scotland
A short half hour later, Harry found himself showing the two ecstatic witches through the door to the Emrys common room. Not surprisingly, the Sorting Hat had almost immediately decided to keep the cousins together, and placed Christine in Emrys House. Harry could swear he had never seen Hermione this giggly, but here she was. Hermione and Christine were giggling enough to put even Parvati and Lavender to shame. So, it was a bewildered Harry that was met in the common room by the Weasley twins, as Hermione showed Christine around the dorm, all under the watchful eye of Fred Weasley.
"Oi, Fred! Get a grip," Harry laughed. "She'll be here all year, ya know."
Fred jumped at the sound of his voice. "Huh? Who?" Harry noted that Fred still didn't take his eyes off Christine, and his eyes looked a bit glazed over.
"Christine, you twit," Harry replied pokingly. "She was sorted into Emrys less than fifteen minutes ago."
"Really? I thought she was a muggle?" George asked.
"Nope, she's a witch, just like Hermione."
Fred looked pleased, still watching Hermione and Christine poke around one of the bookshelves. "You don't say? Has anyone given her a tour yet? I daresay that George and I can make it much easier for her to find her way around."
"And get my balls handed to me by Angelina? You're mad! You're on your own there, Fred."
Fred looked at his twin curiously, and Harry noticed the edge of his mouth twitch. "I thought you said there was nothing going on between you two?"
"There isn't," George insisted. "That doesn't mean that I don't want to keep my options open. And I definitely don't want her to beat me senseless with my own bat. She's a human bludger, that one."
Harry and Fred both started laughing, but were cut off by a shriek from George. Angelina had obviously heard him, and was now dragging him by the ear down the hallway to their left. "I heard that, George Weasley! I'll show you a human bludger!"
Angelina continued ranting all the way down the hallway, where she and George disappeared into a room, but Harry couldn't quite make out what she said. George, on the other hand, was looking back at them the entire way, pleading with them to have mercy and save him. Harry and Fred stood there with small grins, waving a sweet goodbye until they disappeared. Then they burst out in laughter.
"You think he'll be alright?" Harry asked breathlessly after a few minutes, still holding his gut.
"Oh yea, Angelina got hold of him like this all last year," Fred replied with a wide grin. "One of these days, George will admit that he gets on Angelina's nerves on purpose, just so he can spend a couple hours in a room alone with her."
"It'll be a while," Harry said sagely.
Fred looked at Harry, his eyes bright with amusement. "I know," he replied with a broad grin. "That's what makes it so entertaining to watch."
Harry had to agree and he said so. "Hey Fred, is there any chance I can get the map from you right now? Only I've got my own plans for tonight, and I really should get going."
Fred reached into his pocket and handed the Marauder's map to Harry. "Here you are. Just remember to get it back to us when you're done with it."
"Actually, I was planning on giving you each a new map, once I've made some improvements of my own," Harry replied smiling. "This map isn't even half complete, and there are several other functions I plan to attach to it."
"Sounds good to me," Fred replied. "What other functions do you have in mind?"
"You'll just have to wait and see, just like the rest." Harry turned and headed down the hallway to his and Gabby's room, while Fred turned and headed off toward where Hermione and Christine had disappeared.
The door was open, and Harry stood there quietly, watching Gabby sitting on the foot of the bed, with Selene perched on her lap. Before Harry could say anything, Gabby turned her head toward him and flashed a brilliant smile.
"I've been waiting for you," Gabby said.
Harry walked to their trunk, and opened a compartment that he had locked, in order to keep Gabby from knowing the surprise he had planned for her. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Love. I had some things to take care of."
"I heard," Gabby replied quietly, humming soothingly to Selene. "I'm really happy for them, Hermione and Christine I mean."
"So am I," Harry said, pulling out a small package, and slipping it into his robes. "I was thinking. It's a beautiful night, and I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a walk out on the grounds."
That got Gabrielle's attention immediately. "What do you have in mind, Harry? Am I finally going to find out what you hid from me that day in Diagon Alley?"
Harry perked his head, looking thoughtful. "Mm, you might," he replied playfully. "Does that mean you'll join me? I really think you'll enjoy yourself."
"Just let me get my cloak on."
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Gabrielle were side by side, walking together beside the Black Lake. As they walked, Harry had placed his arm around her waist, and Gabby had leaned her head on his shoulder.
Harry was glad he had picked that night. The moon was bright in the cloudless skies, and the stars were out in all their brilliance. Looking out at the Lake, Harry could see how the water rippled softly in the night breeze, and the surface of the lake shimmered softly, reflecting the light of the moon and stars above. In the distance, he could see the trees of the forbidden forest swaying softly in the wind, and the air carried the scent of untamed nature in from the mountains that were all around Hogwarts.
Harry could feel the magic tingling all around them, pervading their senses, and everything around them. The air itself hummed with a natural calmness as they took in the beauty around them. Harry regretted having never taken the time before to really take in his surroundings while at Hogwarts.
"So," Gabby said finally, jerking Harry out of his thoughts. Harry noticed that Gabby seemed to be feeling many of the same things he was. "What was that surprise?"
She and Harry were now leaning against a large boulder that sat at the edge of the Black Lake, and they were looking out at it together. At her question, Harry brought the package out from a pocket deep inside his robes, and enlarged it before handing it to Gabby. "Here, I thought you might like to open it. It's for you, after all."
Smiling softly, Gabby took the package from Harry, and carefully unwrapped it, gasping as she saw what it was.
"Harry, how did you get one of these? They're really rare and hard to get, especially here in Britain."
"I know," Harry replied, pleased at Gabby's reaction. "The fools at the Ministry make it even harder, seeing as flying carpets are outlawed. The only reason they even made them illegal is to boost the profits of broom companies. This one, I had custom made, just for you. From what Griphook told me, it wasn't easy tracking down a carpet maker, and it was even harder to get the design. It's an ancient design of the Veela, one that has never been seen outside the Veela Sanctuary throne room until now. The way I hear it, your grandmother only agreed to help after she was given a magical oath on who it was for."
Gabby looked down at the carpet in her hands. Tears were threatening to overwhelm her as she looked at the silver, veela hair embroidering, surrounding scenes of the ancient Veela Enclave, before the civil wars between the Veela, Merpeople, and Sirens laid most of it to waste. The hair, scales, and tears of all three creatures were used to create the magnificent scenes and landscape that seemed to come alive in the weavings. The serenity of it all washed over Gabby, and she could feel the prolonged sadness of her people, tears of angst streaming down her face as she felt the misery of her ancestors and their cousins as they declared war on one another. It was all there in the weavings of the carpet. The scenes spoke the history directly to her heart, and the sheer beauty of it all overwhelmed Gabrielle.
Sobbing softly, Gabby ran her fingers over the center of the carpet, which did not change. There, in the center, were three hairs, one from her grandmother, one from the Siren Matriarch, and one from the Queen of the Merpeople. Together, they formed a triangle around a small circle that was formed by unicorn hair, which glowed brightly from the freely given unicorn blood that covered it. The unicorn's blessing. Gabby could feel it. It had almost two thousand years since the last recording of a unicorn freely giving it's blood blessing to anyone, and that witch had been her ancestor, the first Veela. Every veela, full-blooded or not, was taught the story at a very early age, to remember where they came from, and to be thankful for the blessing that lasted a thousand generations. The blessing of a creature of complete innocence and purity.
"It's beautiful, Harry," Gabby said almost to quietly for him to make out. Her fingers stroked the seemingly weightless carpet, and words failed her. Words couldn't express her gratitude, or any of the other feelings that were coursing through her, but Gabby already knew that Harry understood. The look in his eyes as he watched her said it all. Harry knew how much it meant to her, and she was thankful beyond words that he had kept this from her until now, the perfect time.
A few minutes later, Harry still hadn't said a word, and Gabby let the carpet slip from her fingers, where it flattened itself out in mid air, at the perfect height for Harry and Gabby to get on it.
Later, almost four hours after they had left, Harry carried a sleeping Gabrielle into their room, and laid her carefully on their bed before covering her up. They had ridden together, silently most of the time, with Gabby cuddled in his arms for almost two hours. After a while, they had began talking... about Hogwarts, what they had planned, and their own future together. They had floated over the Black Lake and Forbidden Forest, high in the sky, and Gabby had eventually fallen asleep, leaning back into Harry's arms as she watched the sky.
Now, Harry brushed a piece of hair off Gabby's face, and kissed her cheek softly. Gabby was happy, and so was he, but now he had one last thing to setup before he could give in to the blissfulness of sleep.
"I'll be back, Love," Harry whispered quietly in her ear. Harry then backed into the shadows near the wall and vanished.
Author's Notes:
For those of you who feel that I have not dealt harshly enough with Lucius, fear not. I still have need of him further on in the story, so for now, he will remain. Promised blood and gore for Lucius next chapter.
BTW, for those who noticed what the 1st of Harry's animagus forms is, and think that he was the one who delivered the letter to Dumbledore, you might want to go back and reread the chapters dealing with it. Harry denied to himself that he delivered it, yet the description fits him to a T. I'll leave it at this. As far as Harry knows... he did NOT deliver it, and no there were no memory spells cast on him.
Anyways, thanks to each and every one of you who have read and reviewed my story so far. I sincerely hope that it will continue to be up to your standards, and that you will continue to look forward to the updates.
The Book of Knowledge. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Harry didn't always have to check different libraries to for research? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have all the knowledge at your fingertips, no matter the size of your library, or even the fact that so much magical knowledge had been destroyed and/or lost to history? I have. This Book contains everything. I do mean EVERYTHING. It is the epitome of all magical knowledge, the priceless piece that bears it all in one. Who wouldn't give everything for such a book?